The Children Of Hiei
by ElvenDragonSorceress
Summary: Hiei travels to Old Forest to visit and old friend of his, a Dragon Demon named Shoyra. When Shoyra is killed, Hiei must protect and raise her two children by himself. Please R&R!
1. Old Memories In Old Forest

Author's Note: This takes place after the show ends, but Hiei decided to wander around for a while before settling down. I kinda made Kurama a bit of a bad guy, but you have to understand that in this fic, Fox demons and Dragon demons have a deep distrust, sometimes even hatred, for each other. The Dragon Demons are my own creation. They have 3 forms: human (like Hiei normally is), half-demon (self-explanatory. They look like they are half dragon, half human), and dragon (again, self-explanatory, they turn into dragons). Also, unlike most demons, the body of a dragon demon doesn't disappear once the demon is dead. The body remains behind like a human's would, oftentimes being cremated. Dragon demons are fairly solitary, but will join dragon clans on occasion. Dragons also exist in Spirit World. They live in Old Forest, which used to be a forest on Earth, but the dragons moved it into Spirit World when humans almost wiped them out. Dragon Demons in human form stand at about Yusuke's height, in half-demon form they are slightly taller than Kuwabara, and in dragon form Kuwabara is the length of their leg (they are about a foot higher than him at the shoulder). Their tails have 4 spikes centered around a small center spike (the real end of the tail). The four outer spikes can be moved like the claw on a crane game at an arcade, and the center spike can inject poison or antidote for poison. This is rarely used, however, because both substances are created at a very slow rate. 

Also: I added an event to Hiei's past: he studied for about a year or two with an old master that lived in Old Forest. The old master taught him quite a bit about sword fighting. While he was there he met Shoyra the dragon demon. No, they didn't do anything while Hiei was there, but he learned a lot about dragon demons and he was happy there. Let's just say that Shoyra was very close to Hiei's heart, although he'll kill you if you try to get him to admit it! :)

~*~Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Yu Hakusho, Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, Koenma, Botan, Kurama, Spirit World, or anything else related to YYH, I wouldn't be writing Fanfiction. I don't own YYH, although I wouldn't mind owning Hiei :) I make no money off of this, it's simply a way of keeping me from trying to jump into the tv to get to all the cute guys. (Namely Hiei, but Kurama's cool too.)

~ok, I think I covered everything. Enjoy!~

~*~*~ElvenDragonSorceress~*~*~

Chapter 1- Old Memories in Old Forest

For a while, peace had finally settled onto Spirit World and Earth. The team of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama had parted company. Hiei had taken to exploring Spirit World and catching up with old friends and doing some training. Kurama did the same, but headed in the opposite direction. Yusuke and Kuwabara returned to Earth, where Yusuke finally began going out with Keiko. Kuwabara went back to his old gang. Everyone was at peace.

Hiei's journey brought him back to an old forest. He hadn't been there in years, and wanted to see how his friends were doing. Normally Hiei would have shot through the forest to the catacomb caves that lay in the center, but old memories forced him to walk so he could dwell on them for a time. Hiei noticed the curious eyes watching him from the canopy above him. He knew that they were young dragons, most of them under their first or second years, and the newest members of the Clan. Hiei smiled as he heard them hurry ahead, as it brought back pleasant memories of summers long past.

***flashback***

"Hiei, you're so slow! Hurry up! I could only be in half-demon form and I'd still manage to beat you!" Shoyra laughed as she flew overhead. Hiei ran faster to keep up. Shoyra was a dragon demon, and was currently in her dragon form. "I'm merely jogging. I don't know what you're talking about, slow dragon!" He'd laughed back. He'd only meant to stay in the forest long enough to learn a few new sword fighting techniques from an old master that lived there. Hiei had met Shoyra there, and fallen in love, although he'd never admit it. Shoyra's playful charms had been too much for even his cold, demon heart. They would race through the forest almost daily, trading wins back and forth. In all of his troubled life, here he had been happy.

***End of flashback***

Hiei approached the catacomb caves warily. He knew Shoyra wouldn't move from the caves, but he knew that the Clan's newest leader, Jhald, had no love of demons and only tolerated Shoyra because she helped protect the clan. Hiei had to make sure that he was ready in case Jhald decided to attack him. The caves were quiet, indicating that most of the clan was off on a hunt. Hiei had learned quickly on his last visit that you didn't enter without calling out a greeting to the Clan. The last time he'd just walked in he'd been flamed at by three of the nesting mothers. Being a fire apparition, the flames didn't hurt him, but it was enough of a warning that he never again forgot to call out a greeting. "Hiei calls his greetings to the Clan of the catacomb caves." Hiei called out as loud as he could. The few dragons that remained inside rumbled low growls of return greetings. Many people mistakenly took the greeting growls as angry or warning growls, but Hiei knew the difference. Before he could take a step further to the caves, he saw a thin figure come up into the cave's entrance. She was tall, a few inches taller than Kurama, with long black hair that was tied back. She wore a bandana like Hiei, but she did not have a Jagan like Hiei. With her bandana she hid her Dijan, a jewel that acted like a Jagan but much more powerful. In her human form it was nothing more than a star-like mark. In her first, or half-demon, form the Dijan glowed. In her second, or dragon, form the Dijan became a bright jewel. "Shoyra." Hiei said. "Hello, Hiei. It has been far too long." Shoyra smiled before running to him. She hugged him, and being so much taller than him, she always ended up picking him up off the ground. Hiei never really minded it, provided it was Shoyra who picked him up. "It has been far too long." Hiei replied.


	2. Shoyra's Secret

Chapter 2- Shoyra's Secret

Hiei was delighted to be back in the catacomb caves. They were always quite warm and comfortable. The young dragons were very curious since they had never really seen many demons. They were amazed by Hiei's Jagan eye and were amazed when he transformed into his demon form. They seemed disappointed when Hiei told them he didn't have a second form like Shoyra did. Jhald returned from hunting a few days later and wasn't terribly happy that Hiei was there. He did warn Hiei, though, that there was a rival Black Dragon in the forest that had been attacking villages and travelers. Shoyra taught Hiei how to communicate with her through the telepathic powers of his Jagan and her Dijan. Hiei was surprised to learn that his Jagan could be used to communicate, but at the same time he was very happy to learn the new skill. It meant he could never truly be apart from Shoyra. With this new connection, the two could see into the other's thoughts and feelings. Shoyra was very happy that Hiei agreed to the connection, as she always complained that he hid his true feelings too much. They quickly discovered the mutual feelings of love between them. They kept their romance hidden from everyone, although some of the older dragons suspected something. Shoyra showed Hiei her nest, a hidden chamber in an old hollow tree. The tree was still alive, though everyone thought that it was solid. The chamber was just big enough for Shoyra and Hiei, plus Shoyra's first clutch of eggs. Being raised in a dragon clan, she had picked up all of their culture, part of which being that the father didn't really matter to anyone. No one cared who your father was, because he had no effect on your raising there. All of the dragons of that clan were identified as children of their mothers, so Shoyra didn't even remember who the father of the clutch was, since dragon demon eggs took twenty years to hatch. There were four eggs nestled into a bed of fur, leaves, and cloth. Shoyra kept her clutch hidden because she knew that there were many who had a great dislike of Dragons and Dragon Demons and would destroy her clutch. Hiei agreed to help her protect her clutch and never tell anyone that she had them until they were old enough to protect themselves. 

Kurama was surprised when he reached a village near the Old Forest that had been completely destroyed. Some of the villagers had been his friends. "It was a dragon, Kurama. It was big and very powerful and vicious. It just swept in here two nights ago and decimated whatever it saw. We tried to stop it but we could not." The villager then begged Kurama to find the dragon and kill it. "To honor those we have lost." Kurama agreed, not bothering to get a description of the dragon, and walked off into Old Forest.

"Hiei, I've sensed a fox demon nearby. They are notorious around here as dragon killers and have no love of dragon demons like myself. There is a village of them to the west. If he were to find me, or my eggs, I have no doubt he would kill me and destroy the eggs. I need to hunt, since that last kill was rather small, and my stores are empty. I don't want to leave my eggs unprotected. Could you watch over them, Hiei? The nest is contained in a box within the tree and the lid is underneath it should you need to move them." Shoyra asked. She was perched at the first split in the tree, where the opening into the hollow chamber was hidden. "Certainly, but be careful. When do you think the eggs will hatch?" Hiei answered. He didn't give much thought to the mention of a fox demon. "If I calculated right, in two weeks. My estimate lands right around the summer solstice. I want to make sure I have food for my children when they hatch. They hatch in dragon form, you know, Hiei. I can't wait to see them." Shoyra smiled. "Thank you for watching them. I won't be long." Shoyra then transformed to her half-demon form. Her ears became longer, and became ridged on the bottom edge. She grew short wings that looked like a fish's fin with long spikes with semi translucent skin stretched between them. She also grew a short tail, and her feet became like a dragon's foot. She leapt off of the tree and flapped her short wings so fast they became like a blur and took off at lightning fast speed. 


	3. Kurama’s Mistake and Hiei’s Heartache

Chapter 3- Kurama's Mistake and Hiei's Heartache

Kurama snuck up easily enough on the dragon. He hid his spirit energy because he knew that the dragons could sense him if he didn't. He knew that because he hadn't when he had entered the forest the dragon knew he was in the forest, and that was why it was very wary. It appeared to be hunting, but there was little game around. Kurama silently got out his rose whip and waited for the right opportunity to strike.

Hiei checked on the eggs. The shells were becoming hard to protect the growing dragon demons. He looked and sure enough, the nest was actually a box nestled into the bottom of the hollow chamber. He was just about to climb back out when he felt an icy cold chill run right down his spine and he knew instantly that Shoyra was in trouble. Within seconds he had the lid on the box and strapped it to his back before racing down the path to where he sensed that Shoyra was.

Shoyra strained and fought against the Rose Whip that was wrapped tightly around her throat. The fox demon she had sensed had managed to sneak up on her and caught her by surprise. She had many deep cuts and slashes from his whip. She'd sent out a distress call to Hiei, but hoping he would not immediately fight as soon as he reached her, but rather hide her eggs before he came to help her. The fox demon laughed at her struggle and again accused her of attacking the village. She again denied going near the village and instead managed to pull the whip out of the demon's hands. The move was not without cost however, as the whip's thorns cracked the scales on her throat. Shoyra knew that if the demon got a hold of the whip again he could easily use it to cut through her throat. She danced away from the demon as he tried to grab the whip. As she moved away she tried to swing the whip off of her neck, since it was preventing her from transforming back into her faster half-demon form. She sensed Hiei getting close and in that short moment she paused the demon regained control of the whip and tightened it. Shoyra roared in pain before the whip cut off her air. She clawed at the whip until she saw a black blur shoot past. The whip was cut, and fell away from her in tiny pieces. Once again able to breathe, she stood for a moment to catch her breath. Hiei was shocked. The fox demon that had attacked Shoyra was Kurama! "Kurama, what are you doing? Stop this right now!" Hiei demanded. "I won't Hiei. This dragon destroyed the village and I am going to destroy it." Kurama replied. He spotted a cactus-like plant that was one of the many poisonous plants of the area that was particularly lethal to dragons and dragon demons. He sliced into it with the remainder of his whip, covering it in poison before slashing again at Shoyra. Hiei leapt at Kurama and slashed at him with his sword, giving Kurama a deep gash into his abdomen and rendering his right arm useless. Kurama dropped his whip and ran, tripping over the egg box Hiei had hidden. Hiei would have given chase if Shoyra hadn't called out to him. "You will pay for this, Kurama! You will pay with you life!" Hiei yelled at Kurama before tending to Shoyra.

Shoyra transformed back into her human form. She was covered in ugly cuts from the whip. "Hiei…" Shoyra could barely manage a whisper. "Shhh…rest now. I'm here, I'll protect you." Hiei reassured her, urging her to lay still. "You'll be fine, I just need to get you back to the caves…" Hiei said. "Don't kid yourself, Hiei. I barely have the strength to talk through my Dijan jewel. I can feel the poison, Hiei; it's spread too far. Take care of my children, Hiei, raise them. I love you, I always have and I always will." Shoyra said before slipping away in Hiei's arms. "Shoyra? Shoyra! You can't leave me, you can't! Shoyra!" Hiei broke down. Tears burned their way down his face. "Kurama will pay, Shoyra. I promise you this, he will die and your children will feed on his body. I will raise your children as though they were my own. I will make them strong so when we meet Kurama again, we can make him suffer for what he has done." Hiei picked up the egg box, which Kurama had tripped on. Two of the eggs had shattered. "Some guardian I am. Two are already dead. But these two will live. They will live and together we will take our revenge on Kurama." Hiei closed up the box and strapped it back onto his back before picking up Shoyra's body. He took her to a large flat stone near the top of the hill in which the catacomb caves were set. It was called the Funeral Stone because the dragons cremated their dead upon it. The surface was burned black from past fires. Hiei laid Shoyra on the Stone and covered her with her favorite wildflowers as well as some of the roses she loved to grow. He kissed her one last time before setting the flowers ablaze. As he knew it would, the fire drew the attention of the Clan. "Who burns on the funeral stone?" Jhald asked when he saw Hiei on the hill. "Shoyra." Hiei called down. The dragons could hear the deep sadness in his voice. The dragons bowed their heads before snapping them up and issuing out a long, sad howl of mourning. Hiei let out his rage and sadness with them, screaming out Shoyra's name in pain. 

Hiei stayed by the stone until the fires went out and the ashes went cold. Jhald, in a surprising show of kindness, gave Hiei an amulet in which he could store the ashes. The amulet looked like a dragon and was just slightly smaller than Hiei's palm. Hiei was surprised when he went to scoop the ashes up; a tiny wind whipped up and gathered up the ashes into a tiny tornado that promptly flowed into the amulet. Because of how hot the fire had burned, there were just enough ashes to fill the amulet. Hiei sealed it closed and tied the chain around his neck. "Will you avenge her murder?" Jhald asked. Hiei did not know how they knew how Shoyra had been killed, but he didn't care. "I will. I know the demon that killed her and I intend on hunting him down." Jhald nodded. "That is good. Come, I have some of her things that may prove useful to you." Hiei followed Jhald into the caves. Jhald led them to Shoyra's room. "This cloak will help hid you from your enemies. This ring carries this clan's symbol and will protect you from unfriendly dragons. Finally, this is her favorite picture. I would hope that you would keep this close to your heart." Jhald handed Hiei a golden-framed picture. It was of Hiei and Shoyra, drawn by a passing artist. It was a small picture since Shoyra had planned on carrying it with her when she went on long trips. Hiei took it out of its frame and slipped it into an inside pocket of his jacket. He gave the clan a deep bow of respect before leaving. 

Yusuke was surprised when Kurama showed up on his doorstep, heavily injured. "Kurama! What happened to you?" Yusuke asked as he caught Kurama. Fleeing from Hiei, getting to Earth, and finding Yusuke's house with his injuries had taken most of Kurama's energy. He barely managed to get out "Hiei attacked me" before he slipped into unconsciousness. Keiko (who had been told about Yusuke's job as Spirit Detective) helped Yusuke bring Kurama inside and began treating his wounds. Yusuke called Boton and Koenma. "I don't know what's happened between them, but Hiei attacked Kurama. Kurama's here, but he barely made it here. Keiko's helping him out right now. Do you guys know where Hiei is?" Koenma shook his head. "The last time we heard from Hiei he told us that he was going to visit some old friends of his in Old Forest. A fox demon village nearby has been undergoing some rather vicious dragon attacks, and the last time I heard from Kurama he was going to go and find the dragon that was attacking them. Something may have happened in Old Forest, but we haven't heard anything. Boton is coming over to get you into Spirit World and to help you tend to Kurama. Keep me posted, ok?" Koenma looked worried. "Sure thing. Later, Koenma." Yusuke hung up. He looked over at Kurama. He didn't look good at all. "Why in the world would Hiei attack Kurama? They were best friends before. What could have sparked Hiei to attack?"


	4. Hatching Demons

I want to thank my first reviews, The Dragon klan. I'm glad you like my story! 

~My work is fueled by reviews, and this is so far unfinished so reviews will definitely help me get this thing finished! :) ~ Enjoy!

BTW- I'm a little bit mean to Hiei in the next few chapters because I based the little one's feeding off of that of a bird. Yeah, I'm gonna have some nasty slashes from Hiei after this is all done! :)

Chapter 4- Hatching Demons

Hiei checked the eggs before settling down to rest. It had been two weeks since Kurama's attack and he knew that they were ready to hatch. He was looking forward to seeing what Shoyra's children would look like, but one thing he was most definitely not looking forward to: feeding them. Since dragon demons did not possess the milk glands of human and most other demons, a dragon demon mother had to predigest her children's food. This meant that Hiei would have to bring back up every meal he ate to feed the two. He also knew that Yusuke was looking for him. "I bet Kurama ran right to Yusuke. He'll probably take Kurama's side, too. I'll have to keep away from him for just a little bit longer. Once the eggs hatch I'll be able to go to Earth. If Yusuke's looking for me here, he won't think to look for me closer to home." Hiei draped an arm protectively over the eggs and fell into a light sleep.

A few hours later Hiei was awoken by an odd pecking noise. He looked at the eggs and realized that they were hatching. He quickly ate some of the food he had stored away as he watched the eggs crack and break. Hiei smiled as he watched the tiny dragons tumble out. They lay there panting for a few minutes to regain their strength and become accustomed to their new surroundings. One was male, and the other was female. The male was crimson red in color, with bright blue eyes. The female was a golden bronze color with green eyes. They turned towards Hiei and squeaked. They understood that he was their parent, if not biologically. They stretched their necks up and nipped at the corners of Hiei's mouth, indicating that they were hungry. Hiei reluctantly turned away and pulled out a bowl. He brought back up the food he'd eaten as they were hatching and set the bowl down in front of them. The two dragons ate cautiously, and reacted to every single tiny sound. Hiei smiled. As much as he hated having to bring all of his meals up to feed them, they were so cute that to Hiei it no longer mattered. He decided to name the male Shoyren, after his mother. The female he named Tawna. After they finished eating, Shoyren and Tawna climbed over to Hiei and nestled together in the folds of his jacket. They both barely fit on Hiei's lap. The eggs had each been well over twice the size of Hiei's fist, and the two baby dragon demons were just small enough that one fit into Hiei's cupped hands. Hiei smiled when he noticed that both had Dijan jewels. He set the bowl aside, planning to clean it out after the two woke back up. Right then he really only wanted to eat his own meal and watch the two sleep.

Yusuke wasn't surprised to find out that most of the villagers now wanted Hiei dead. The dragon that had attacked them turned out to be the rouge black dragon Jhald had been worried about. Yusuke was surprised, however, when four injured red dragons dragged the carcass of the now dead black dragon out of the woods on the edge near the village. Yusuke had approached them. "We mean no ill will towards the village. After this they will see no more of us provided they do not cross the river deep in the forest. We are angry with the one called Kurama, for his actions against one of our own. Shoyra didn't have a trace of evil in her, unlike this retched beast. Had he gotten a description of the dragon that attacked the village, he would have known that Shoyra was innocent. Two of her first clutch of four were also killed. A friend of our clan is caring for them now." The dragon, who had introduced himself as Jhald, bowed and left with his three warriors. "Hey, Jhald! Wait a sec!" Yusuke yelled. Jhald stopped at turned to look at Yusuke. "Do you know a demon named Hiei? He's a fire apparition about this tall, with black spiky hair and all black clothes. I'm looking for him to talk with him about an incident a little while ago." Jhald studied Yusuke carefully. "We know Hiei. He was Shoyra's lover supposedly. He was the one who brought her body back after she had been cruelly murdered and was the most affected by her death. He is very troubled right now and I suggest you leave him alone. When I see him next I will tell him to go and find you when he is ready to talk." Jhald then turned and disappeared into the forest. Yusuke simply sighed and turned back to where Botan was waiting. "We're not going to find Hiei. He doesn't want to be found right now." 


	5. Shoyra's Shrine

Again, big thanks to my reviewers: The Dragon klan. If only there were more people like you….. :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 5- Shoyra's Shrine

Hiei wasn't surprised to find out that Jhald hadn't told Yusuke where he was. He was surprised, however, to find out that the dragon leader had told Yusuke to leave him alone. It had been almost a month since Shoyren and Tawna had hatched, and they were already very active and playful. Hiei was a surprisingly good father to them. They had begun to communicate with him and each other through their Dijans and Hiei's Jagan. Hiei had cleaned out the egg box and now used it to carry the two. He'd gotten used to feeding them and eating six meals a day. Hiei remembered the long conversation he'd had with Shoyra about how she planned to raise her children. He had been very interested in parenting, although he didn't know why until now. He had learned that it was normal to start weaning them at one month, provided they had grown at least twice their hatching size. Shoyren and Tawna were about 2 1/2 times their hatching size. The box was beginning to be too small for them. Hiei decided now was a good a time as any to start weaning them. He began adding food that was simply chewed to their normal meal. He wasn't surprised to find that they were cautious as well as curious. He loved to watch them play. They loved to chase insects and sometimes Hiei. Hiei had learned quickly that if you didn't sleep lightly when they napped your clothes would be rags by the time you woke up. Hiei was surprised when Jhald asked him to join the Clan and stay in the caves. "The fox demons have been trying to find our home, and there are more black dragons wandering into our wood than normal. You are a powerful warrior and we would be honored if you would stay with us." Hiei had accepted, and took Shoyra's old room as his own. It brought back painful memories for Hiei, but caring for her two children helped ease his pain. Once he had moved into the caves, he began allowing Shoyren and Tawna to stay with some of the dragon mothers and their children while he rested or visited. One of his favorite dragons to visit was the oldest and wisest dragon, Dhal. Dhal always welcomed Hiei. He had known Shoyra well and helped Hiei cope with his loss. "Her death still grieves us all, Hiei. With the children to care for, you have not had a chance to truly grieve and release your sorrows. I can see it every time I look at you. The children will be safe here. Why don't you go and visit the shine we built for her? It may hurt, but it will be better for you in the long run if you deal with it now." Hiei sighed. He'd been avoiding remembering her, even though the pendant he wore constantly reminded him. "It is time for you to put your own troubles to rest, Hiei. Go, and I will watch the children when they get back." Hiei nodded solemnly. 

The shrine was covered in rose vines. It was beautifully carved from some of the stone from the caves with a picture of her in all three of her forms on the front with a small space shaped like Hiei's pendant. Hiei realized that the pendant was made to be an urn. He knelt in front of it, allowing his memories to come back. He felt tears form and did nothing to hold them back. He just knelt there and cried, releasing all of the emotions he'd kept hidden and bottled up inside. He felt the wind pick up, which was rare this deep in the forest. He didn't notice that the pendant was glowing and hovering a few inches away from his chest. The wind plucked a few rose petals off of the vines and they swirled around Hiei. One of the petals brushed against Hiei's lips and touched his cheek. Hiei stopped crying and sat perfectly still. The petal had felt like one of Shoyra's kisses. Hiei felt her presence around him. "Shoyra…Shoyra…I failed you. I couldn't protect you when you needed me to. Two of the eggs broke because I was careless when I hid them. I failed you…" He felt another tear slide down his cheek, but it was brushed away. Hiei looked up but he didn't see anyone near him. "Hiei…" a voice called out. It sounded very far away, yet seemed to come from the shrine. Hiei looked at the shrine, before noticing that the pendant was glowing and floating. "What the…" Hiei stared at the pendant in disbelief. "Hiei…" the voice called out again, "Hiei…" The pendant glowed even brighter as the voice called. Hiei looked up again at the shrine. The lines of the image carved on it were glowing like the pendant. Shoyra's spirit slipped out of the image, appearing translucent to Hiei. She smiled to Hiei and disappeared into the pendant. The pendant engulfed Hiei in a column of bright white flames as she did. Hiei felt Shoyra's presence enter him. He felt as though his blood had turned into the intense flames that surrounded him, yet he did not call out. The pain of it was so excruciating he almost passed out. It lasted for a few moments until Hiei heard Shoyra's voice in his head, "Be at peace, my love." The flames disappeared and the pain vanished. Hiei fell forward, catching himself but breathing very hard. He'd felt emotions in the fire, love, pain, anger, sadness, and joy. He looked down at his hands and realized that they had changed. His fingers were a little bit longer, with small claws. Small patches of blood red scales glistened on his arms. Hiei got up and found that his boots were gone, replaced by scaly dragon feet with large claws. It was when he moved that he felt the wings on his back. He ran as best he could on his new legs to the nearby drinking pool. Leaning over he stared in disbelief at the face that was reflected back at him. His ears were longer, with a ridged bottom edge, and there were strange marks around his Jagan eye. They were similar to the marks that Shoyra had once had, and the ones that the children did have, that indicated that the person had a Dijan jewel. "What happened to me…?" 

It took Hiei a few minutes after the initial disbelief to realize what had happened. Using her own ashes as a guide, Shoyra's soul had made itself part of Hiei's body, granting him the ability to change into her half-demon and dragon forms. It took Hiei a few hours to figure out how to change back into his regular form. By the time he returned the children were asleep in Dhal's chamber. "Thank you for watching them. I hope they didn't cause too much trouble for you." Dhal laughed. "No trouble at all. You've raised them well, Hiei, they were perfect angels. I see that you are feeling better now, Hiei. Yet, you do look a lot more different than I had thought you would…ah, I see. Shoyra wasn't going to leave you so soon. A soul merge is very uncommon you know. I suppose you have her form abilities now…?" Hiei nodded as he scooped up Shoyren and Tawna. Dhal gave a small, low laugh before setting his head down to sleep. Hiei smiled and carried the children back to their room. 


	6. Yusuke's Search

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my reviewers! :) 

Bahamut: I'm trying to cut down on my paragraph sizes. Also- I don't think that Hiei is gay. Maybe it's because if he were gay, he wouldn't like my sorceresses or my other female characters! :)

Saelbu- provided that I've written enough for me to consider it a chapter, I'll post daily, mostly late at night ~my prime time is after 9pm~

Killing Perfection- Yeah, it seems like Hiei's personality is rubbing off on me; he inspires the hints of angst in my writing. Kurama's only being mean because he doesn't understand why Hiei attacked him and now wants to kill him because he (like all fox demons) has an extreme dislike of dragon demons.

The Dragon Klan- Thank you for all of your reviews! And don't worry, Kurama's a big boy and can take care of himself. 

Chapter 6- Yusuke's Search

Yusuke tried again a few weeks later to find Hiei. This time Kurama went with him. Kurama's arm was still hurt, and he had to keep it in a sling. He had managed to get a new rose whip, but kept that fact well hidden. He had also told Yusuke about the dragon demon he'd killed. However, he hadn't told Yusuke that Hiei had arrived before Shoyra had died and had asked Kurama to stop. They stayed in the fox demon village while they tried to find Hiei. Yusuke could sense with some accuracy where Hiei was, but Hiei could sense Kurama with unfailing accuracy with his new powers. He had gotten used to his two new forms and had taught Shoyren and Tawna how to switch between their three forms. They were three months old now, and fully weaned. Hiei had begun to train them to fight and defend themselves. He had found that in half-demon or dragon forms, they had an attack called Spirit Claw that could be used with extreme speed. Its strength was proportionate to the strength of their Spirit Energy, so Hiei's was extremely powerful, able to cut through pretty much anything. Shoyren and Tawna could slice through small branches of wood, but they were like a kitten's claws compared to the tiger claws Hiei's resembled. The children had taken to staying in human form as Hiei trained them. They looked as though they were ten-year-old children in human form. Shoyren had his mother's long black hair and the brightest blue eyes Hiei had ever seen. Tawna had gold hair that was the same color as her scales when she was in dragon form. Her eyes were a bright forest green. Shoyren picked up on Hiei's teachings very quickly, but Tawna took more quickly to strategies, traps, and also herbs. At first Hiei had been afraid that she wouldn't be strong enough to defend herself if Kurama should decide to attack them, but he was assured she'd be fine when he watched her spar with her brother. Tawna used Shoyren's strength against him, often times running him into trees and boulders. She also greatly helped Hiei with hunting for food. Her traps caught anything they could ever want to eat. Hiei sensed that Yusuke and Kurama were searching the woods for him, so he left the catacomb caves. Jhald understood that Hiei did not want anyone to know where they were, not even Yusuke. Hiei took the children and moved to a cave that was too far from the caves for Yusuke or Kurama to find them accidentally while they were looking for him, but close enough that if the dragon clan needed help, Hiei could be there for them. Hiei decided that his revenge on Kurama could wait until after Shoyren and Tawna were fully-grown and able to take care of themselves. Hiei knew that Kurama could kill him if given the chance. He just had to wait until the children could go on without him in case it came to that.

Yusuke noticed that Hiei seemed to always move away from them whenever Kurama went with him as he searched the forest for signs of him, but tended to stay where he was when Yusuke went alone. "He's tracking you like I'm tracking him, Kurama. I think you should stay here for now, until I find Hiei. I want to talk to him, and get his side of the story before I really draw any conclusions about all this. I'll bring Hiei here once I've talked to him. I'll see you later, Kurama." Yusuke left before Kurama could protest. 

Yusuke sensed that this time Hiei was close. It was night now, and some of the villagers had told Yusuke that they had heard the sounds of people playing in a hot spring at night sometimes when they passed it in the woods. No one ever stopped to see who it was because they did not like to be in the forest at night. It wasn't without good reason, the black dragons hunted more frequently and with greater stealth at night. Yusuke noted the branch in the road that led to the hot spring. He took it just to see if he could find any clues. As he walked, he heard splashing and laughing. He hid in the shadows and carefully approached the spring. Yusuke began to be able to pick up voices amidst the other sounds. He heard the voices of two children, a boy and a girl. A third voice Yusuke recognized as Hiei. Yusuke stopped and hid behind a large tree at the edge of the small clearing where the hot spring sat. He could see Hiei and the two children bathing in the spring. Their clothes were hung on a nearby rock. The girl got out, grabbed a towel and disappeared behind the rock where the clothes were hung. Yusuke assumed she was drying off. Hiei was floating with his head back and eyes closed. The boy seemed too busy diving under to pick up pebbles from the bottom of the spring to notice that his sister had gotten out. "Don't wander too far, Tawna." Hiei called out without opening his eyes or moving at all. The girl, Tawna, didn't answer. "I bet she didn't even hear him. She's probably halfway home by now." Yusuke thought to himself. Suddenly, Yusuke felt small hands grab his. Within a moment his hands and feet were bound together. 


	7. Encounter At The Spring

A/N: If my updates are slow, it's because ff.net doesn't want to acknowledge that I uploaded a new chapter. It's been doing that to me a lot lately, so sorry if I don't get these out daily, as I would like. 

~ElvenDragonSorceress~

Chapter 7- Encounter at the spring

Yusuke was turned away from the spring now, and he was facing a very angry looking girl in a red kimono. "Father! Father! I caught him!" she called out. "Good girl Tawna. Shoyren and I will be over in a moment." Yusuke heard Hiei call back. He heard footsteps, one set sounded slightly louder than the other, with more space in between, Hiei's. The other was very quick, darting back and forth as Shoyren wove around the trees. Yusuke saw Shoyren come over and stand by his sister's side. "I heard him before you heard him." Shoyren said, glancing at his sister. "Did not! I heard him first and I caught him." Tawna shot back. "Children." Hiei said in a warning tone as he stood just behind Yusuke. "Yes, Father?" both children answered simultaneously, temporarily forgetting the argument they were starting. "Go home now. I want to have a few words with our little guest here. Run along, I will be only a few moments." Shoyren and Tawna nodded and ran off. Yusuke could hear them beginning to argue again. "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!" Hiei laughed as he watched them go. He grabbed Yusuke by the collar of his shirt and slammed his back against a tree. "What do you think you're doing, spying on us like that? I don't recall inviting you to visit." Hiei's tone changed instantly from laughter to deep anger. "I wanted to know what you were doing. Seems like you've settled down and got yourself a family. Who's the lucky lady?" Yusuke answered. He saw Hiei flinch and the mention of the children's mother. Hiei dropped Yusuke and untied the ropes. "Ask Kurama. He orphaned them. They only call me Father because I raised them since they hatched." Yusuke stood up to face Hiei, brushing the dirt off of his jacket. "Kurama said you attacked him for no reason the last time he saw you. I want to know what happened from your perspective." Yusuke noted that Hiei was becoming very upset. Hiei took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "The children are Shoyren and Tawna, son and daughter of Shoyra the dragon demon. The father is unknown, but that is very common with dragons and dragon demons. Normally the mother raises the children." Hiei fingered the dragon pendant he wore. "I was visiting Shoyra almost four months ago. We were catching up on old times. Shoyra was, is, and will ever be the only person I have ever truly loved. She needed to hunt, but she couldn't leave her eggs unguarded since they were so close to hatching. I agreed to watch them. I sat there for maybe half an hour before I received a telepathic distress call from Shoyra." Hiei lifted his gaze from the pendant to Yusuke's eyes. "I packed up her four eggs and ran to her aid. I hid the eggs in the bushes before I got to her so they would be safe. I enter the clearing she was in, and I see them. Shoyra's badly injured, with a Rose Whip around her neck. Kurama's rose whip." Yusuke could see the old pain coming back in Hiei's eyes. "I yelled at him to stop, but he wouldn't. I cut his rose whip with my sword. He used what was left of his whip to poison her, slashing a poisonous plant with his whip and then slashing her. I was so angry that I slashed at him with my katana. I was so angry that I missed my mark. I meant to kill him then and there. He ran and tripped over the box I had the eggs in, shattering two. Shoyra died in my arms." Yusuke could no longer look Hiei in the eye. Hiei's eyes flashed with deep anger and the most heart wrenching look of pain Yusuke had ever seen. "Kurama told me he killed a dragon." Hiei snorted at the remark. "She was in her dragon form, but anyone with a brain could see the difference between a dragon demon and a dragon. Besides, it was a black dragon that attacked the villages. Shoyra was red." Yusuke nodded. "I saw it when Jhald and some of the other dragons dragged its dead carcass to the village. But I've never seen a dragon demon. I wouldn't know the difference." Hiei shook his head. "Then watch closely, detective. Dragon demons are unique in that they have three forms. Human, half-demon, and dragon." Hiei stepped back. He gave a low growl and began to change. He became taller, with dragon ears, half-wings (no joints, very short wings that at first glance look like large fish fins), and dragon feet. Hiei stood for a moment so Yusuke could see him before stepping a few steps back. He growled again, and this one became very low and slowly became louder. Hiei's clothes appeared to fuse and become part of his skin. A long tail slipped down from Hiei's back and lay on the grass. His wings grew out into full dragon wings. His neck stretched out long and his face became the head of a dragon. He grew two long horns that went backwards to arch over his neck, and two small crests above his eyes. His Jagan became a glittering, smooth jewel in the center of his forehead. Two small tusks sat in the corners of his mouth. "Hiei…you're a…you became a…dragon?" Yusuke couldn't believe his eyes. "Yes, Yusuke. Because Shoyra's soul entered my body, and now resides there, I have many of her old powers, including her demon forms. Now, you've seen me, and heard my side of the story, now get out of my territory." Two small dragons, each about the size of a german shepherd dog, appeared near Hiei. One was red, and the other was a golden bronze color. They were growling at Yusuke. "I suggest you leave now, detective, or I will let Shoyra's children use you for hunting practice. They are quite strong for their age." Yusuke shrugged and leaned against a tree. He figured the Hiei was bluffing and would just leave. That idea was shot down when Shoyren spat out a bit of fire at Yusuke. Yusuke dodge, but the fireball singed the edge of his jacket. He took off running. Behind him, he heard the flutter of wings and the snarls of the two child-dragons chasing him. He also heard Hiei running behind them, still in dragon form. "Spirit claw!" Tawna called out as she slashed at Yusuke once she had flown close enough. Spirit-energy enhanced claws racked across Yusuke's back. "Ah!" Yusuke tripped and fell into the underbrush. Yusuke looked up to see Shoyren and Tawna looking down at him, with Hiei close behind. He heard them laughing and they seemed to be hungry. 


	8. Yusuke's Rescue and Hiei's Escape

AN: Sorry for the slow updates. I'm working on another story now, too, at the insistence of my roommate. It's an Inu Yasha fanfic I may post sometime soon. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Reviews keep me writing! :)

Chapter 8- Yusuke's Rescue and Hiei's Escape

"Rose whip!" Tawna leapt back as the whip cracked next to her. She hissed at Yusuke and disappeared behind Hiei's leg. Shoyren retreated to Hiei's back. Hiei shot a blast of flame at a high branch. A tall figure leapt away just before the flames incinerated the branch. Again, the whip cracked. Hiei hissed at the figure and retreated, disappearing into the woods with Shoyren and Tawna. 

"Yusuke, are you alright?" Yusuke looked up. Kurama was standing over him with his rose whip in his hand. "Kurama?" Kurama helped Yusuke up. "The scratches on your back don't appear to be deep. What happened?" Yusuke brushed the dirt off of his jacket. "I ticked off Hiei." Kurama seemed confused. "But you were fighting three dragons." Yusuke looked over to where Hiei and the children had been. "Yeah. The big one was Hiei. Apparently he's got soul of that dead dragon demon in him so he can change like she used to be able to. He's raising her kids, the two little dragons you saw." Kurama seemed surprised. "I never knew that was possible. Quite an interesting transformation, I must say. Now I know why it attacked me as soon as it realized I was there." Yusuke shrugged. "Let's head back. I think we've caused them enough trouble for tonight. Besides, I'm hungry." Yusuke turned and headed back to the village. Kurama followed him for a moment, and then paused, looking behind him. He heard a warning growl. He glanced around and realized that dragons, probably alerted by Hiei or one of the children, had surrounded them. With a sigh he turned back and continued to follow Yusuke. Jhald and the rest of the clan, who had come because Hiei had called out to them with the Dijan just in case he needed them, slowly turned and left. Jhald went over to where Hiei was walking. "He almost turned back. You were right to call us." Hiei looked over at him. "Yusuke will no doubt cause more trouble. I'm going to take Shoyren and Tawna and go to Earth. Yusuke will search for me here, as will Kurama. Do you think that you could make them think that I am still here?" Jhald thought for a moment, then tilted his head with a sly smile. "I have a better idea."

Hiei smiled as he looked over the three figures in front of them. Jhald had brought them to an old demon hermit who lived in the deepest part of the forest. He excelled in creating Mimic Stones, stones that would take the form of whatever touched them. The Stones would look and feel just like their mimicked target, and even bled if they were cut. The Stones were lifeless, however, and did not move at all on their own. Jhald carried the three, which looked like Hiei, Shoyren, and Tawna in half-demon form, into a remote clearing where the hermit had set up another stone, which mimicked a very powerful black dragon. The Stones would hold their forms for one month, plenty of time for Yusuke and Kurama to stumble upon the 'tragic' scene of Hiei's fight with a black dragon. Hiei used the power of his Jagan to move the black dragon stone, and Jhald used his Dijan to move the other stones. They played out a vicious fight, and in the end all of the stone forms 'died.' To whoever came upon the scene, it would appear as if the black dragon had first attacked the children as they played in the clearing. Hiei then attacked the black dragon, killing it but becoming so badly injured that he expired not far from his foe. The children, also badly wounded, crawled over to him and also died. Hiei couldn't look at the Stones that had taken the children's forms. "Too lifelike." Jhald and Hiei made many dragon tracks around the clearing, as though many dragons were coming and going to visit the tragic scene. They laid flowers like the clanmembers would do and even got the whole clan to do a mourning howl like they had for Shoyra. With the setup complete, Hiei left. "I have to admit, Jhald, this is a fine joke to play. Making them think that we are dead will surely throw them off our trail for good! I will be able to raise the children without fear of Kurama." Jhald laughed. "Tomorrow I think I will go and inform this Yusuke of your tragic demise." They both laughed and then Hiei picked up Shoyren and Tawna, who were asleep, and left for Earth. 


	9. Hiei's Ruse

A/N: Again, thanks to those of you who reviewed! Hopefully I'll get a few more chapters up this week………

Chapter 9- Hiei's Ruse

Early the next morning Yusuke again went into the woods. He was met on the way by Jhald. "I bring sad news, little human." Jhald looked devastated. "What is it?" Yusuke was worried. "There was another attack by a black dragon, the largest so far. I'm sorry, but Hiei was killed this time, with the children." Jhald bowed his head, shaking off some small tears that had formed. "I heard a weird howl last night, real sad. What was it?" Jhald looked up at him. "It was a cry of mourning. It is customary for our clan to give a mourning howl whenever we lose a member of the clan. I did not realize that we had gotten that loud. Normally you cannot hear the howl outside of the forest. I guess because we had lost three of our most beloved members we were too distraught to keep ourselves in check. I apologize for disturbing you." Yusuke shrugged. "It's ok. It was faint from the village, anyway. Where are the remains?" Jhald turned. "I will show you. We have not yet had a chance to cremate them yet. It is normally the last part of our mourning process. We cannot lay the remains to rest until we have laid our own sorrows to rest. That is why Hiei carried Shoyra's ashes with him in an amulet. They were not with him during the battle. I believe that he may have left them behind in their cave, but he was moving again and had not yet told me where." Yusuke nodded and followed Jhald. They came upon the scene within a few minutes. Jhald refused to look, he simply told Yusuke where they could be found. 

Yusuke found the clearing, with many flowers laid around it by the dragons. The flowers' aroma kept the flies away from the bodies, but Yusuke noticed that there were more than normal outside of the flower-strewn clearing. Hiei's body lay off to one side, with the two children close to his side. The black dragon, dead on the other side, was obviously very powerful, with huge jaws and powerful talons. Yusuke slowly entered. He noticed that the strong scent of the flowers covered over any odor from the bodies. It tore at his heart to see Hiei and the children. Looking at the marks, he could guess at what happened. Yusuke took one of the flowers from the edge of the clearing. "I'll go back to Spirit headquarters and let them know what happened. You know, I never thought I'd ever see Hiei dead. It's just…he was always so strong, and he always seemed to be so sure of himself." Jhald walked with him for a few moments. "With the children there, I think that Hiei may have been distracted. The black dragon would have gone for them first, considering them easy prey. Hiei would do anything to protect the children." Jhald sighed and left Yusuke there. Yusuke went back with the flower.

"He's dead?" Kurama was shocked. "Yeah. It was hard to believe for me, too. This flower's from where he died. The dragons left a ton of them there." Kurama took the flower. "Fitting flower. It's called Dragon's Tear. I've heard that these only grow where a dragon's tear has fallen on the ground. They're quite rare, really. They only grow deep in this forest. Near some old caves, I think." Yusuke remembered the clearing. "There were quite a few there. The dragons must live near where they grow. Anyway, let's go. We'll let Koenma know what happened and then I need to get back to school or Keiko and my mom are going to kill me." 

Hiei smiled as he set his things down on the bed. He had bought a small apartment by selling some of the jewels Jhald had given him. The clan had a small stash of gold hidden in the caves, mostly from traveling warriors who had picked the wrong cave to go hunting in. They had enough money now that Hiei could live for a couple of months before he needed to get a job to pay the bills. Before coming to Earth, Hiei had stopped by a demon that excelled in helping demons that came to Earth make lives for themselves. He provided birth certificates, id cards, and other necessary documents. Hiei knew that if he went by "Hiei" everyone would know within days that he was alive. He took the name Vincent VanSol, and even enrolled the children in school. Hiei had taught them up to a fifth grade level of schooling so that they would be able to blend in better. He could hardly believe that they were already four months old. It was at this age that their growth began to slow to that of a human. They appeared to be ten years old in human form, and were at about that level mentally. While the children were in school, Hiei got a part time job at a small store as a cashier. To make himself less recognizable, he wore a bandana over the entire top of his head, covering not only his Jagan, but also most of his hair. A small bit of his hair poked out in the back. It was a black bandana with a large flame pattern on it. The shop owner was an elderly man who treated Hiei well and didn't question the bandana. The man sold antiques and little oddities, which fascinated Hiei and drew in a moderate amount of customers. Hiei sometimes saw Kuwabara on the streets, mainly walking to or from the grocery store. Hiei always noticed Kuwabara, but the big oaf never saw Hiei. It was mainly because Hiei had figured out how to hide his spirit energy and taught the children to do the same. After school every day the children would stop by the shop on their way home to check in with Hiei. The elderly man, whom they called Mr. Pippin, loved to see them. Most of the time he would give them each a small candy if they told him that they were good in school. Mr. Pippin knew that Hiei wasn't their father, but accepted that Hiei was raising them like a father would. He thought highly of Hiei and paid him as well as he could. 


	10. Life on Earth

AN: As always, thanks to all who have reviewed! I love reading your reviews, and I'm glad everyone is so pleased with my story. Reviews give me the energy (and ambition) to continue posting, since I am a college student with finals coming up (annoying exams!) so keep 'em coming! :) Also in this fic, Yukina figured out that Hiei was her brother a while ago.

~ElvenDragonSorceress~

Chapter 10- Life On Earth

"Alright now, children, go on home." Mr. Pippin shooed the children out the door. They seemed disappointed at first but then took off running and laughing. Hiei leaned on the counter, polishing an old silver gravy bowl. "Such wonderful children. You truly are blessed to have them, Vincent." Mr. Pippin said as he came back inside. "I know. They grow up so quickly, though. It seems like only yesterday when they were just little babies in my arms. Ah, well, I guess that's how life goes." Hiei put the gravy bowl back into the case, turning his back to the door. Hiei heard the door open and Mr. Pippin greeted the customer. The customer asked if they had in any antique dolls, and Hiei recognized the voice as Yusuke. "Vincent, go and get those dolls we cleaned up the other day. This gentleman would like to see them." Hiei closed up the case and waved back to let Mr. Pippin know that he was going to get them. Before coming back out he glanced in a mirror to make sure that Yusuke wouldn't recognize him. He wore contacts to change his eye color from red to blue, and through careful practice managed to change how he spoke so that although his voice was the same, the tone was much different. Originally, Hiei's voice was very cold and almost always had an arrogant tone. He had trained himself to talk in a warmer voice with a friendly tone. "Here you go." Hiei set the tray with the dolls down on a table. Yusuke looked at him oddly. "You seem oddly familiar, have we met?" Hiei shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I only recently moved here." Yusuke shrugged and looked over the dolls. He picked up one with black hair and a bright blue kimono. "This one is perfect for Keiko. How much is it?" Mr. Pippen and Yusuke haggled for a little bit while Hiei went and put the silver polish away, mainly to keep Yusuke from getting a good look at him and seeing through the disguise. He heard Yusuke pay Mr. Pippin and leave. They closed up shop for the night not long after that. On his way home, Hiei sighed. He knew then that his disguise would hold up for quite a while before anyone recognized him. He sighed a sigh of relief before going into the apartment building.

Seven long years went by. Shoyren and Tawna grew into healthy adults and were quite happy. Hiei took over the store with Mr. Pippin's son, Caleb. Shoyren and Tawna graduated from school and helped Hiei out in the store, which had grown much larger and now also sold jewelry. Hiei was surprised when one day Yukina came in with Kuwabara. They were getting wedding rings. Hiei didn't really want Yukina to marry Kuwabara, but he knew that Kuwabara would take care of her and he could see that she was very happy. Yukina recognized her brother, and they spoke briefly psychically, but she did not tell Kuwabara that 'Vincent' was actually Hiei. Yusuke and Keiko came in for the same purpose later on as well. When Yusuke got back from the store, however, he spotted an old group shot of him, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. He gave the picture an odd look and then took it down. He studied the image of Hiei carefully. He scanned the picture into the computer and did a little bit of manipulation. He gave Hiei blue eyes and covered over his hair with a bandana. He realized that Vincent was Hiei. He immediately called Koenma. "Hiei's alive? How is that possible…oh wait, I never did look at that investigator's report! Hold on a moment, Yusuke." Koenma went and got a report written up by an investigator who had taken a look at Hiei's 'death scene'. "Well, this certainly is embarrassing. It seems that the investigator found out that the scene you found was actually staged. The bodies were Morph Stones, rare magical stones that create exact doubles of whoever they touch. They are made in Old Forest, so the dragons must have gotten some to stage Hiei's death. I'd be careful, Yusuke. If Hiei finds out that you know he's alive and where he is, there is a chance he'll flee again and may even go after Kurama again." Yusuke sighed. "I can't believe that Hiei tricked us! It just doesn't seem like something he would do." Koenma agreed. "But you have to remember, Yusuke, that he had the children to look after. He was probably afraid that if Kurama were willing to kill Shoyra, he would also want to take out her children. Warn Kurama, but please try to keep quiet about it. I don't want Hiei to know that we know until I'm certain he's not going to cause trouble." 

"He's alive?" Kurama was speechless. "My reaction, too. Seems like Koenma took my word for it that Hiei was dead and never read the report on it. Hiei put up a really good ruse, and now he's living around here. I didn't even recognize him when I saw him the first time. I had to run an old photo through a photo-manipulation program I have to realize it was him." Yusuke sat on Kurama's porch. Kurama seemed concerned, but he seemed to Yusuke more sad and remorseful, like he was regretting something. "I should go and try to talk to him." Kurama said quietly. "Are you insane, Kurama? Hiei wants you dead! How do you know he won't kill you as soon as he sees you?" Kurama shrugged. "If he truly wanted me dead, and he is in the area with plenty of opportunity, I wouldn't be talking to you now." Yusuke leaned back into his seat. "I guess you're right. Just do me one favor, Kurama, let me come with you." Kurama shook his head. "I can't do that, Yusuke. This matter is between Hiei and I. It is better if we dealt with it alone." 


	11. Dealing With Old Pain

AN: Got a few good reviews this time, as well as my first flame. Seems as though I haven't made some things clear, so I'm going to try to clear up some vague points of my story:

Dulcy: Your review, although slightly harsh, I don't consider a flame. It's criticism, and I do appreciate it. Kurama does have a reason for killing Shoyra. He was angry that a dragon would destroy an entire village, and was moved by the people's pleas for help. He thought dragons rare, so he didn't get a description. He assumed the first dragon he met would be the dragon that attacked the village. I should have also listed this story as an AU fic since I did cut out Mukuro. He was wandering to go around and catch up with old friends. Kurama's was the same reason. Hiei is not fully Koorime, which I took as making him not asexual. I tried to keep Shoyra from being a Mary Sue, but I guess that if you've written what you have, I failed that. I am going to take your advice and try to improve my writing. I am working on an Inu Yasha fan fiction and I am already trying to break up my paragraphs. My roommate is going to beta-read it for me, but I wouldn't mind another opinion. I would like to thank you for your valuable review, and I am going to try to improve my writing with your suggestions. Thank you!

Sunchaser: My first flame! *Dodges gigantic fire-ball flame review* I should have put that this fic is AU. Shoyra is an Original Character (I thought I stated that, but I guess I didn't…) and I personally like her name. I believe that Hiei IS capable of loving. I am a detail-oriented person. Sorry if that bores you. I never said Hiei WANTED the kids. He was asked by a dying mother to raise them. He did also have the choice of dropping the eggs off at the Catacomb Caves to be raised by the Clan. Also, the kids are not truly Hiei's. The father is unknown, mainly because dragon demon mating is pretty much a big group where you mate with whoever gets your attention. The fathers don't do anything to raise the kids, so they are not considered important to dragon demon females, thus the uniqueness of Shoyren and Tawna, the children. I try to title my stories as best I can, but if you can think of a better title, let me know. Since you reviewed on Chapter 1, did you even read what I've posted so far to be sure of what you thought to be true? When you review, please, try to be less flame and more constructive criticism. It helps me more to get review that say something like "A bit too detailed, try to put in more action" rather than "Details. Too long, too boring, too stupid. Your WHOLE STORY IS DETAIL! Whatever happened to action?" I'm sorry you think that my stories are more like profanities, but this is how I write and your comment hurt more than it helped. I appreciate the review anyway and I hope this clears up everything.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate all reviews, regardless of what they say. With the help of the reviewers, I hope that my next stories will be much better. I've managed to finish this story on my computer, so hopefully over the next few days I will post the rest of the chapters as-is and then repost it after I send it through a couple of betas. Any beta readers out there who want to help me out???

~ElvenDragonSorceress~

Chapter 11- Dealing With Old Pain

Hiei narrowed his eyes as he listened to the minion-demon. "Yusuke went to Kurama's home. I heard them talking. Yusuke knows. He told Kurama. Kurama is going to try to find you, but he won't let Yusuke come. He said he was going to talk to you. He seemed sad, but I dunno…" Hiei waved off the demon. "Keep an eye on Kurama." The demon flew off. Hiei cursed and went back inside the apartment. He looked over at the portrait of him, Shoyren, and Tawna. 'I promised Shoyra that I would kill Kurama and feed him to her children. Shoyren and Tawna are grown now, and I know they wouldn't want to eat Kurama now. When they were little they could have benefited from it, but not now. If I kill Kurama now, Yusuke will definitely come after me. Oh, Shoyra, if only you were still here…" Hiei was surprised when Shoyren suddenly contacted him using telepathy. "But she's not. Your rage may have subsided from all of these years, but ours have not! Tawna and I still want Kurama dead for murdering Mother. We might not have hatched yet, but we were connected to Mother while she was still alive. We felt her loss most likely harder than even you, because to us, Mother was everything." Hiei sighed and sat down. 'I guess you're right. I have let myself become soft in these past years. I've dealt with losing Shoyra, and I had forgotten that Kurama betrayed me. Hm. I should practice with my katana for a bit.' He felt Shoyren's mind end the connection with his. He sighed and pulled out a small picture he kept with him always. It was Shoyra's picture of her and Hiei. Hiei closed his eyes for a moment before getting up. He put the picture away and scribbled a quick note for Shoyren and Tawna:

"Went back to Spirit World to visit Shrine. Be back soon. On your own for dinner. I'll eat on the way back. Hiei"

Hiei approached Shoyra's Shrine slowly. He'd gotten used to constantly feeling Shoyra's presence because of the Amulet and her soul, so he'd forgotten that she was dead, and that should her soul leave him, he would lose her. He knelt in front of the Shrine and stared at the engraved image. 'Shoyra has become a part of me. I'd gotten so used to it, I forgot that she is only a spirit inhabiting my body in conjunction with my own soul. Now that I think of it, I do miss being able to hold her and kiss her. I'm with her in my dreams every night, but it's not truly real. She has helped me raise Shoyren and Tawna, but she can't actually be there for them. Because of Kurama she is nothing more than a dead soul. Ever since that minion demon informed me that Yusuke has seen through my ruse, she's been restless. I've ignored her need for vengeance." Hiei sighed as he let his eyes scan the entirety of the Shrine, taking in every part of its architecture. 'These sort of Shrines were built to attract the soul of a specific dead person, to prevent them from becoming a restless, drifting soul. By all accounts this should be where Shoyra's soul resides, watching over the Clan like she's always done. Why did she choose to come back to me? I never gave much thought to it before, perhaps…perhaps she _is_ a restless soul, unable to rest properly because of Kurama. I am such a fool to not have seen it! As soon as Kurama is dead, and her murder avenged, she'll be free to go to wherever her soul will reside for the rest of eternity. Shoyren and Tawna also need some form of closure to their mother's death.' Hiei thought back to the battle where Shoyra had lost her life. He forced himself to remember how she had looked, how Kurama had refused to stop, and how he'd felt as he'd watched her body burn upon the funeral stone. Tears flowed anew and Hiei stood up. "I remember now why I vowed to carry out Kurama's death. He took my love from me, he took the life of Shoyren and Tawna's mother, and he betrayed me." Hiei bowed in respect to the Shrine, and then took off back home.

"Hello, Father. How was your trip to the Shrine?" Tawna asked as she heard Hiei come in. "Dinner's just about ready. I made spaghetti." Hiei smiled. "It was quite…well, let's just say it brought back a lot of old memories I'd left buried for far too long." Shoyren didn't look happy at all. He was sitting by the window, watching the birds fly by. Hiei knew what was wrong without asking. "I'm going to put in for some vacation days at the store. Maybe a week or two, for a trip back to Spirit World. I think that there is a matter there we must attend to." Shoyren looked up at Hiei. "A matter I've let slip for far too long." Both Shoyren and Tawna nodded in agreement. Over Tawna's spaghetti dinner, they plotted a trap for their mother's killer.


	12. The Final Meeting

AN: Thanks to the reviewers again! Everyone goes a bit out of character by now, but I wanted the story to end on a good note. One more chapter after this to finish this story off. I hope y'all liked it. It's my first YYH fanfic, so hopefully my next ones will be *a lot* better. Anyone who wants to beta-read for me, please email me at ElvenDragonSorceress@yahoo.com Thanks! :)

~ElvenDragonSorceress~

Chapter 12- The Final Meeting

Kurama found a note taped to his door the next day after he'd gone to the store Hiei worked at and found out he wasn't there. "He's gone off on a vacation with his kids. He'll be gone for two weeks." Caleb had said. He'd given Kurama an odd look. "Why are you looking for him?" Kurama had simply said that he was an old friend that was looking for him. Caleb had called Hiei's cell phone after Kurama had left and left a voicemail. "Yeah, Vince, it's Caleb. Some dude came in here today looking for you. He said his name was Suiichi, but I don't think that was his real name. I told him you were on vacation for two weeks. Lemme know if something's up, ok? Later." Kurama read the note: "To 'Suiichi': If you want to talk, meet us at the Shrine of Shoyra in Old Forest. Come alone. Don't tell anyone. Hiei, Shoyren, Tawna." Kurama set the note on his dresser. He grabbed a fresh rose from his dresser and left a note for his mother, saying that he was going over to a friend's house and didn't know when he would be back. 

Kurama found the Shrine fairly easily. When he got there, there had been only a couple of young dragons there putting offerings at the foot of the Shrine. When they saw Kurama, they left in a hurry. Kurama walked over to the shrine and examined the carving. "So that's who Shoyra was." There was a small inscription below the carved picture. "Shoyra of the Dragon Clan of the Old Forest. Warrior, Protectress, Mother. May her soul find peace." Kurama noted the large amount of flowers, both new and old, surrounding the Shrine. He heard someone coming and hid himself behind a large tree. Three figures cloaked in black from head to toe slowly walked up to the shrine. They each placed a rose on the shrine. The shortest of the figures placed a blood red rose, while the other two, who were of equal height, placed white roses. They then all knelt in front of the Shrine. The one in the middle, who had placed the red rose down, stood up after a few moments of what seemed to be prayer. The figure pulled out an amulet shaped like a dragon and placed it in a depression in the shrine that appeared to be shaped just for it in the center of the image. All three figures stood as the middle one stepped back from the shrine. They then removed the black hoods of their cloaks. One had long golden-blonde hair. The one in the center Kurama instantly recognized as Hiei. To Hiei's right stood the third figure, who had shorter black hair. All three simultaneously transformed into their half-demon, and then Dragon forms. They bowed to the Shrine, and turned to face Kurama. "Come out, Kurama. We know you are there." Hiei called out. Kurama sighed, doing his best to hide the tremble in his hands and knees. He knew. Hiei had lured him here to kill him. "You wanted to talk. Speak quickly, for we wish this to be short business." Hiei stared down at Kurama. Shoyren and Tawna, the two other dragons, seemed to be holding themselves back. "Well…I…" Kurama stuttered. He couldn't think of the right words to express what he felt. "I guess I wanted to apologize. It took me a long time before I really realized what I did to you, all of you. I did not listen to you when I should have, Hiei, and because of that grave error I gave you a wound you should never have had to bear. I orphaned you, Tawna, Shoyren, and I did nothing to pay for my crime. With all my heart I beg now for your forgiveness." Kurama dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Tawna and Hiei bowed their heads and began to turn away from Kurama. "NO!" Shoyren yelled. "I will not let mother's death go unavenged just because this murderer said he was sorry! He will die for what he did!" Shoyren turned and prepared to burn Kurama with a blast of his fiery breath. As he did, Hiei felt Shoyra's soul leave him. He could only watch as Shoyren blasted Kurama with an inferno of flame. Much to everyone's surprise, the flames parted around Kurama, raging past him and dispersing harmlessly behind him. Shoyren roared in anger and went to again blast Kurama.

"Shoyren!"

Shoyren stopped. Between him and Kurama was a beautiful woman. Her dark hair flowed around her despite the lack of wind. "Release your anger, but do not release it upon him. He has shown true remorse for what he has done, and he has paid dearly enough for it. That day years ago, Kurama lost his truest and dearest friend, a loss that has pained him greatly and will pain him for the rest of his life. The friendship between Kurama and Hiei cannot be repaired. Let go of your anger, my son, and be free. This anger you hold, it binds you like a chain. Release yourself from it and go, or I shall never be free." Kurama stood up shakily. He'd been certain that Shoyren was going to kill him. He had no idea who this woman was or where she'd come from. She turned to him. "Kurama, I forgive you for what you did. I understand now that it was a misunderstanding, nothing more." "Mother…" Shoyren dropped to the ground, crying. "Why did he have to take you away from us? Why did you have to die?" The woman went over to him and hugged him. She spoke to him in a low voice that no one else could understand. After a few moments, Shoyren got up and left. The woman stood up and faced Hiei and Tawna. "Farewell, Beloved." Hiei closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Goodbye, Mother." Tawna also closed her eyes and bowed her head. Kurama then realized that it was Shoyra herself that had saved him. She turned from Hiei and Tawna and walked towards the Shrine. She faded away as she reached it. Hiei looked up at Kurama. "You may be forgiven, but it is as Shoyra has said, our friendship is over. I never want to see or hear from you again." Hiei and Tawna turned and left Kurama there alone. After a hour or so of thought and reflection, Kurama rose and disappeared into the wood. Hiei, Tawna, and Shoyren returned to the living world.


	13. In the end

AN: The final chapter! Just a little post to finish up everything. Everyone's a bit out of character here, but I wanted to end everything on an interesting note. I'm also assuming that Hiei will age at a rate similar to that of a human. Hope y'all enjoyed my little bit of imagination's insanity! :)

~*~ ElvenDragonSorceress~*~

Yusuke found two notes outside his door one bright, sunny day a few weeks later. Hiei's katana had been stabbed into the ground. A note was tied to the handle and it fluttered in the light breeze.

"Yusuke, don't try to find me again. From this moment on, I am leaving the name Hiei and the rest of my past behind me. We are moving soon, although I do not know to where yet. My dealings with Kurama are over, so don't worry about them. I'm never going to fight again. Instead, I think I'll take up painting. I hope you have a happy life, Yusuke. Only now can I honestly say that I will. Signed, Vincent VanSol." Sitting beside the katana was a single red rose. The note was from Kurama. "Yusuke, I'm going to go live in Spirit World, with the village of fox demons we visited before. I'm going to try to bring peace between them and the dragons. It's going to be hard, but it's the least I can do to pay for what I've done. I may see you again, but somehow I do not think that we shall meet again. Farewell, Yusuke. Signed, Kurama" Yusuke took both notes, the katana, and the rose inside. He informed Koenma of what they said, and then went to the church, where he was to marry Keiko, minus two of the honored guests. 

"In other news, the world-renowned painter Vincent VanSol died yesterday in his sleep at his summer home in the mountains. Vincent is survived by his two children. He was well known for his paintings of dragons, and had in fact just finished his last painting the afternoon before he died. An autopsy was performed and it has been found that Vincent died of old age…" Shoyren turned off the tv. He looked at the painting sitting in his father's studio. It was of a couple kissing in a bright forest glade. It was titled "Hiei's Only Wish." Shoyren stared into the background of the painting. He could see dragons slowly appearing from the shadows. Like all of his father's paintings, there were elements no one saw until they had sat down and stared at it for a while. Only Shoyren and Tawna truly understood the meaning of the paintings, since everyone there swore Dragons were simply myths. He had painted scenes from their lives, like their birth, Shoyra's death, baths in the spring, images of the Clan of Old Forest, Shoyra's Shrine, and the encounter with Kurama at the Shrine. "You are with mother now, Father. I should be happier…" Shoyren got up when Tawna came in. They walked together to the cemetery. They saw Kurama there, but they did not approach him. Kurama laid a red rose on Vincent's grave, then disappeared. They took a trip to Spirit World later, and helped the dragons build another Shrine. As they left, they passed the fox demon village, where they too were building a Shrine. They had found Kurama dead a few hours beforehand. Decades later, the Clan and the village joined forces and built a grand city on the plain next to the Forest. The story of Kurama and Hiei became legend. The three Shrines, Kurama's, Hiei's, and Shoyra's, became known for the ghost that passed by them occasionally each year, placing red roses on them. The ghost of a fox demon with red hair and a sorrow he brought upon himself with his Rose Whip.

~*~ Fin ~*~

That's it! Hope you like it. Don't forget to review and let me know what I can improve on. I may rewrite and repost this later, depending on feedback. Best of everything to y'all!

~*~ElvenDragonSorceress~*~


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